 Wednesday, October 8, 2025
I will be hosting a Public Safety Town Hall TONIGHT at the Upcounty Regional Services Center (12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD 20874) from 6:30-8PM. I will be joined by Montgomery County Police Department 5th District Commander Nicholas Picerno to hear your comments and concerns regarding safety in our communities.
Registration is not required, and I hope to see you there.
 A flyer advertising a Public Safety Town Hall, hosted by Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe and MCPD on Wednesday, October 8th from 6:30-8PM at the Upcounty Regional Services Center in Germantown.
We had such a fabulous turnout at my Back to School Block Party for middle and high school school students last week! Hundreds of students attended to learn about local youth resources, participate in fun activities, and share their feedback with me about what they'd like to see more of in their community. We also had some amazing student performances showcasing the talent that can be found right here in our backyard! Youth engagement is one of my priorities, and I love hosting the Back to School Block Party! I'm looking forward to an even bigger event next year!
A special thank you to all the community partners who dedicated their time to supporting our youth, to the BlackRock Center for the Arts for lending their space for this event, and to La Mesa Del Rincon and Carmen's Italian Ice for providing delicious food for the student participants!
 A video about the Back to School Block Party. Clicking the image will redirect to the YouTube video.
Fall is always a fun time to be in the community, with everything from ribbon cuttings, anniversary celebrations, and of course - Germantown October Fest! Given the chaos continuing around us, it is important to take a moment to celebrate all the things that make our community great! I attended some fabulous events over the last few weeks, and am looking forward to continuing to be out and about in District 2 in the coming months!
Last Saturday, I spent the day in Germantown for the annual October Fest celebration. Thousands of people came out to celebrate the day, and it was great to see so many of you there! Later that weekend, I joined the Upper Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Station for the ribbon cutting and opening of a much-needed cistern. I was also honored to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Mercy Health Clinic in Germantown, and the 20th anniversary of the MOOseum in Boyds.
As always, if you are hosting an event you'd like me to come out to, please reach out to my office directly! I love my community visits and am always looking for more places to recognize!
 A collage of images of Councilmember Balcombe in the community.
Government shutdowns disproportionately impact Montgomery County, so I wanted to take a moment to provide information the county has put together to support its residents during the ongoing government shutdown. Montgomery County has a dedicated webpage with detailed information about various resources that may be of assistance. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
In addition to the information listed on the Montgomery County website, Pepco has shared helpful information about the support its offering to those impacted by the government shutdown. Read more below.
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Flexible Payment Options: Impacted customers can access payment arrangements up to 12 months and budget billing plans to help manage monthly expenses and avoid service disconnection.
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Late Payment Charge Waivers: A 30-day waiver on late payment charges will be granted in increments for affected customers.
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Proactive Assistance Resources: Customers will be connected to agency assistance programs and tools like:
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Assistance Finder Tool: Helps identify bill assistance and energy efficiency programs that customers may qualify for: https://secure.pepco.com/assistance/landing
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Single Stop (PHI only): Helps customers quickly and privately check if they qualify for other benefits, including help with housing, money, food, school, healthcare, childcare, taxes, utility bills, and more. Customer can access the tool anytime on their phone, tablet, or computer.
- Impacted federal workers should contact our customer care team for more information about these added support measures and how to access.
- Pepco: pepco.com/BillSupport or call 202-833-7500
- BGE: bge.com/heretohelp or call 1-800-685-0123
*Additionally, please note that support measures are also available to federal contractors.
Seasonal Bill Support
As we transition into colder winter months, Pepco is also offering tools to help customers manage energy use and reduce costs:
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High usage alerts, which enable customers to receive alerts when their usage is trending higher than normal to help manage overall energy use, and energy-management tips to help customers manage energy use to save money now and on future energy bills.
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Weekly energy reports, which provide a weekly snapshot of usage and costs so that customers can keep track of how they’re using energy that month. Residential customers will automatically receive these reports by email.
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Energy efficiency offerings, including services and incentives designed to help customers reduce energy use now and in the long term.
Year-Round Support
Pepco also offers a variety of programs to help support customers year-round, such as:
- Our Customer Relief Program offers eligible limited- and moderate-income customers up to $300 in relief on their energy bill.
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With the Gift of Energy, anyone can make a payment toward a friend or family member’s energy bill.
- We offer a variety of individually tailored payment arrangements aimed at bringing the account up to date over a mutually agreeable period of time.
- For customers whose main source of household income is from government or other low-income entitlement programs, they may qualify for a regular extension of their bill due date without incurring a late charge.
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
The Economic Development (ECON) committee will be meeting tomorrow, October 9th to receive a briefing about Montgomery County's retail market. Our next ECON meetings are scheduled for early November. As always, you can review our staff packets on the County Council website and watch a recording of our committee session on the County Council YouTube channel.
Transportation and Environment Committee
The Transportation and Environment (TE) committee will be meeting twice on Thursday, October 16th. We will be meeting jointly with the Government Operations (GO) committee to approve the special appropriation I introduced that would fund a transportation study about the Clarksburg to Montgomery Village corridor. We will then meet to take action on a resolution to approve a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Gaithersburg, and to approve an amendment to the FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program.
We will also be meeting on Monday, October 20th to discuss my legislation, Bill 24-25, Transportation Demand Management - Repeal.
As always, you can review our staff packets on the County Council website and watch a recording of our committee session on the County Council YouTube channel.
Council Legislation
Below is a list of recent legislation that the County Council has taken action on.
Upcoming Public Hearings
To testify at a Council public hearing or to submit written, audio, or video testimony, please visit the Council website or call 240-777-7803. The deadline to sign up to testify for a 1:30PM public hearing is 2PM the day prior. The deadline to sign up to testify for a 7PM public hearing is 5PM the day prior.
October 14, 2025
October 21, 2025
October 28, 2025
The following County boards, committees, and commissions are seeking applicants:
- Mark your calendar for the Mid Atlantic Antique & Garden Festival! This event will be held on October 25th and 26th at the Aix La Chapelle Farm in Poolesville. Stop by for a curated selection of top antique dealers from across the country. Visit the Mid Atlantic Antiques Festival website to purchase your tickets.
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MCPD invites you to participate in the 2025 Community Trust Survey to help the police department better serve our communities. The survey takes just 1–2 minutes to complete and is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Responses are being accepted until October 15th.
If you would like to get in touch with me regarding anything mentioned in this newsletter or any other concerns you may have, please email me at Councilmember.Balcombe@montgomerycountymd.gov or call my office at 240-777-7960.
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